She Counts

Nancy is joined by Madeline Reeves, founder of Fearless Foundry and creative director of Advisory Amplified, for an uncomfortable but necessary conversation: the ways women sometimes undercut each other in business. Maddy shares the moment a client asked if her proposal was her "PITA fee," and the pattern that followed of being stiffed on invoices exclusively by women. Nancy argues that the real issue isn't generosity itself, but rather, who gets to decide what counts as a gift: the giver, not the person on the receiving end. From unpaid favors to predatory coaching dressed up as empowerment, this episode asks what we owe each other as women—and what we absolutely do not. Sponsors Bill - http://bill.com/shecounts Relay - https://relayfi.com/shecounts Karbon - https://karbonhq.com/ (00:00) - Welcome and Sponsors (01:00) - Meet Maddie Reeves (02:49) - Episode Topic Women vs Women (06:17) - PITA Fee Pricing Story (10:55) - Unpaid Invoices Pattern (14:27) - Setting Boundaries and Vetting (16:54) - Flag Waving Red Flags (21:21) - Women Talk Money Directory (26:04) - Contracts Grace and Dialogue (29:49) - Say It Out Loud Negotiation (32:00) - Why Money Talks Are Hard (33:19) - Talking Money Out Loud (34:53) - Mixed Feelings About Wealth (36:38) - Women Only Networks Limits (38:59) - Learning From Male Rooms (40:31) - Generosity And Access (43:15) - Predatory Coaching Exposed (49:05) - Spotting Red Flags (51:02) - Healthy Pricing Dialogue (52:26) - Shame And Collective Cost (57:50) - Building Boundaries And Norms (01:03:48) - Seasonal Capacity And Respect (01:05:36) - Closing Call To Action ResourcesMadeline Reeves on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelinekreeves/ Fearless Foundry - https://www.fearlessfoundry.com/ Advisory Amplified - https://www.advisoryamplified.com/?ref=roadie - 20% off with discount code Nancy-roadie Women in Accounting Visionary Entrepreneurs (WAVE) - https://cec4-erin.systeme.io/0cc9badd Erin Pohan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinpohan/ Adrienne Maree Brown (Author excerpt) - https://earthlingopinion.wordpress.com/2019/03/01/fractals-the-relationship-between-small-and-large/ How to Be Perfect by Michael Schur (LA Review of Books) - https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/fools-and-philosophers-on-michael-schurs-how-to-be-perfect/ How to Be Perfect by Michael Schur (Interview w Nick Offerman) - https://youtu.be/jKP2f4D8nRc?si=ezryAYZqhVtiwpf3 Theatre of Public Speaking - https://publicspeaking.mistymegia.com/bundles/topscohort?ref=857055 Misty Schachtell Megia on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/misty-schachtell-3a634a2/ Only 2% Of Women-Owned Businesses Break The $1 Million Mark (Eilene Zimmerman in Forbes) - https://www.forbes.com/sites/eilenezimmerman/2015/04/01/only-2-of-women-owned-businesses-break-the-1-million-mark-heres-how-to-be-one-of-them/ SPONSORS: [Bill, Relay, Karbon] Join Our LinkedIn Page! https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-counts-podcast Subscribe on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@SheCountsPodcast Follow She Counts on IG https://www.instagram.com/shecounts.show/ Connect with Nancy https://www.thedancingaccountant.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-mcclelland-cpa

What changes when you discover who you are, trust what you have to say, and recognize the impact your voice can make? In the final episode of our Curtain Call series, Nancy and Theatre of Public Speaking CEO Misty Megia bring listeners two conversations about finding, trusting, and using your own voice. Certified Fraud Examiner Candy Bellau spent her career uncovering deception, but her latest investigation is far more personal: uncovering the fraud within. She shares how she learned to become a chameleon, adapting herself to the people around her to feel safe, accepted, and loved—and the work she’s now doing to find and express her authentic self. Emily spent years happily behind the scenes at her beloved nonprofit, Spike’s K9 Fund, until its mission required her to step forward. She discovered that she couldn’t simply borrow the voice of the gifted leader who came before her. She had to find her own. Their stories come from different places, but share a powerful realization: finding your own voice can change both how you show up in the world and the impact you’re able to make. Sponsors Bill - http://bill.com/shecounts Relay - https://relayfi.com/shecounts Karbon - https://karbonhq.com/ (00:00) - Welcome to She Counts (01:24) - Curtain Call Setup (02:08) - Finding Your Real Voice (04:45) - Meet Candy Bellau (05:56) - Fraud Examiner Origins (07:45) - Rules Tools and Ethics (09:33) - Spotting Fraud Patterns (12:25) - Trauma and Chameleon Skills (15:05) - Controls Compensation Culture (20:56) - The Fraud Within Explained (22:18) - Honesty Kindness and Feedback (26:59) - Kindness Across Contexts (27:24) - Work Boundaries vs Loved Ones (28:27) - Saying No to Friends (29:40) - Vulnerability and Inner Fraud (31:03) - Candy Journey Reflections (32:45) - Chameleon and Belonging (34:50) - Approval and People Pleasing (36:39) - Emily Finds Her Voice (39:43) - Mission to Protect K9 Heroes (43:59) - Tools for Confidence (47:08) - How to Support Working Dogs (48:31) - Take the First Step (50:30) - Misty on Transformation (55:10) - Fully Becoming Yourself (58:30) - Series Wrap and Call to Action ResourcesMisty Schachtell Megia on LinkedIn - Misty Schachtell | LinkedIn Candy Bellau on LinkedIn - Candy Bellau, CFE, PI | LinkedIn Dawn Brolin on LinkedIn - Dawn W. Brolin, CPA, CFE | LinkedIn Nicole Landau on LinkedIn - Nicole Landau, CFE 📊👷‍♀️🔦 | LinkedIn Robert Berry aka “That Audit Guy” on LinkedIn - Robert Berry | LinkedIn Valerie Heckman on LinkedIn - Valerie Heckman | LinkedIn Scaling New Heights - https://www.woodard.com/scaling-new-heights-2027-about Emily Soccino Grey on LinkedIn - Emily Soccino Grey | LinkedIn Spike’s K9 Fund.org - Spikes K9 Fund | Advocates for America's Working Dogs Spike’s K9 Fund on LinkedIn - Spike's K9 Fund: Home | LinkedIn Spike’s K9 Fund on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/spikesk9fund/ Spike’s K9 Fund on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/spikesk9fund/ Spike’s K9 Fund on Twitter - https://x.com/Spikesk9fund Spike’s K9 Fund on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCswqkkwkdkGwqyjKCkD5Jfw Theatre of Public Speaking - https://publicspeaking.mistymegia.com/?ref=857055 SPONSORS: [Bill, Relay, Karbon] Join Our LinkedIn Page! https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-counts-podcast Subscribe on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@SheCountsPodcast Follow She Counts on IG https://www.instagram.com/shecounts.show/ Connect with Nancy https://www.thedancingaccountant.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-mcclelland-cpa Connect with Questian https://www.reqoncilefinancials.com/

What happens when the way you’ve always moved through the world stops working for you? Nancy brings Mellisa Miller Furgeson (filling in for Questian) two more conversations from the Theatre of Public Speaking Advanced Retreat. Jean Zick shares how understanding her introversion helped her stop fighting the way she’s wired and start building around it. Terri Warren faced a dramatic reckoning after two strokes forced her to reconsider what she could ask of herself. Together, their stories explore what becomes possible when we understand ourselves well enough to honor what we need. Sponsors Bill - http://bill.com/shecounts Relay - https://relayfi.com/shecounts Karbon - https://karbonhq.com/ (00:00) - Welcome to She Counts (00:35) - Sponsors and Support (01:17) - Why These Stories Matter (04:55) - Meet Jean Zick (05:48) - Millionaire Introvert Origin (07:19) - Introvert vs Extrovert Energy (08:34) - Conference Survival Tips (14:38) - Introvert Superpowers (16:42) - Small Group Networking (18:15) - Building Virtual Connection (22:15) - Final Takeaways (24:28) - Jean Wrap Up Reflection (25:18) - Reframing Conference Breaks (26:03) - Teri’s New Reality (27:04) - Cape of Confidence Story (27:52) - Letting People In (30:33) - Layoff Shatters Identity (32:10) - Building Your Own Walls (33:41) - Stroke Rips Cape Away (35:03) - Second Stroke Wake Up (36:58) - Fear and Denial (39:27) - Acceptance and New Scoreboard (40:59) - Redefining Work and Energy (43:54) - Two Sided Cape Metaphor (49:35) - GROW Model and New Cape (50:50) - Connecting Jean and Teri (53:34) - Final Takeaways and Sign Off ResourcesMelissa Miller Furgeson on LinkedIn - 👩🏻‍💻Melissa Miller Furgeson | LinkedIn Jean Zick on LinkedIn - Jean Zick | LinkedIn Sharrin Fuller on LinkedIn - Sharrin Fuller | LinkedIn Kelly Gonsalves on LinkedIn - Kelly Gonsalves | LinkedIn Nancy’s MSN article on Tips & Tricks for Intuit Connect - https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/expert-tips-for-attending-intuit-connect-2025/ar-AA1soTN6 Nancy’s MSN article on Top 10 Accounting Conferences - https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/growth-community-and-cpe-10-accounting-conferences-that-deliver-in-2025/ar-AA1Cnqrk Tori Staub McKee on LinkedIn - Tori Staub McKee | LinkedIn Terri Warren on LinkedIn - Terri Warren | LinkedIn Realize - https://www.rlz.io/ World Health Organization stats on missed workdays due to mental health issues - https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-at-work It was never a dress - https://itwasneveradress.org/ Women Who Count - https://womenwhocount.com/ Erin Pohan on LinkedIn - Erin Pohan | LinkedIn WAVE-Seattle - https://www.instagram.com/wave.seattle/ Nicole Davis on LinkedIn - Nicole Davis, CPA | LinkedIn GROW Model - GROW model - Wikipedia Theatre of Public Speaking - https://publicspeaking.mistymegia.com/?ref=857055 SPONSORS: [Bill, Relay, Karbon] Join Our LinkedIn Page! https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-counts-podcast Subscribe on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@SheCountsPodcast Follow She Counts on IG https://www.instagram.com/shecounts.show/ Connect with Nancy https://www.thedancingaccountant.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-mcclelland-cpa Connect with Questian https://www.reqoncilefinancials.com/

Big changes rarely happen all at once. And when fear has been making our decisions for a long time, even the first small step can feel enormous. Nancy and Questian bring listeners two conversations from the Theater of Public Speaking “Curtain Call” retreat, recorded by Nancy with women whose stories start in different places and arrive at the same realization. Katie Helle spent seven years staring at the same spreadsheet before burnout finally pushed her to leave a stable CPA role and start her own firm; Mariana Alvarez spent years rebuilding her sense of self after heartbreaking domestic abuse, learning that forgiveness — of the people who hurt her and of herself — couldn't be rushed. Both chose to move forward while still scared, and discovered that you don’t need to see the whole path to begin walking it. Sponsors Bill - http://bill.com/shecounts Relay - https://relayfi.com/shecounts Karbon - https://karbonhq.com/ (00:00) - Welcome to She Counts (00:31) - Sponsors and Support (01:14) - Two Stories One Theme (02:40) - Retreat Setup and Interviews (03:35) - Meet Katie Heele (04:11) - Fear as Information (07:01) - Starting a Firm Doubts (09:44) - Entrepreneur Roots and Risk (12:00) - Seven Years to Act (13:13) - Burnout Flips the Switch (15:38) - Steps Not Leaps (18:20) - Find Help and Community (20:50) - Modern Firm Models (22:22) - Fear Means Growth (23:53) - 60% Want Change (24:17) - Write Down Fear (25:16) - One Step Plan (25:37) - Katie Closing Advice (27:19) - Fear Into Willingness (29:31) - Mariana Joins the Show (31:26) - Self Forgiveness Path (34:34) - Anger As A Wall (40:36) - Purpose And North Star (43:45) - Peace After Survival (45:59) - Be True To Yourself (47:23) - One Step Takeaway (48:30) - Wrap Up And Quote ResourcesKatie Helle on LinkedIn - M Katie Helle, CPA | LinkedIn Source for Job Change stats cited - Resume Now. (2025). 2025 Career Gridlock Report Mariana Alvarez on LinkedIn - Mariana Alvarez | LinkedIn Theatre of Public Speaking - https://publicspeaking.mistymegia.com/?ref=857055 SPONSORS: [Bill, Relay, Karbon] Join Our LinkedIn Page! https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-counts-podcast Subscribe on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@SheCountsPodcast Follow She Counts on IG https://www.instagram.com/shecounts.show/ Connect with Nancy https://www.thedancingaccountant.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-mcclelland-cpa Connect with Questian https://www.reqoncilefinancials.com/

Nancy and Questian compare notes on their two very different sessions from Scaling New Heights that turned out to have more in common than expected, leading to insightful lessons about leadership. Nancy's panel on Vulnerability as a Strength started with a deliberately invasive survey she gives accomplished leaders, designed to surface what they never say out-loud; Questian's session on Change Management with Ashley Rhoden dug into leading clients and teams through change. Talking it through afterwards, they realized both sessions kept circling back to the same two ingredients that impact our ability to lead — self-awareness, and the ability to recognize what someone else is carrying. They close with the question Nancy asked her own audience: who actually knows what you're carrying, and whose load could you help lighten? Sponsors Bill - http://bill.com/shecounts Relay - https://relayfi.com/shecounts Karbon - https://karbonhq.com/ (00:00) - Welcome to She Counts (01:14) - Conference Lessons Intro (02:03) - Vulnerability Panel Origin (07:43) - Change Management Session (10:07) - Leadership Overlap Themes (12:52) - Vulnerability Panel Framework (16:03) - Lonely at the Top (17:24) - Sharing Failures Honestly (22:39) - Admitting Weakness Safely (24:23) - Word Cloud Breakthrough (27:20) - No Perfect Firm Myth (29:22) - Empathy in the AI Era (30:48) - Vulnerability and Awareness (32:05) - Spotting Change Signals (37:25) - Asking Better Questions (40:33) - Trusted Advisor Mindset (42:11) - Using AI for Prep (44:00) - Handling Change Resistance (50:21) - When Scope Must Shift (53:04) - Pricing Without Guilt (56:28) - Key Takeaways Recap (57:19) - Questions on Vulnerability (59:35) - Closing Quote and Wrap ResourcesThe OG Vulnerability as a Strength Panel at Bridging the Gap 2024 - https://youtu.be/gY6b5RYSbrw?si=Mz0jyz4uWxRo1J_Z Anna Dynia - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-dynia-cpa-483838/ Al-Nesha Jones - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alneshajones/ Nayo Carter-Gray - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nayocartergray/ Hector Garcia - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hectormgarciacpa/ Dawn Brolin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnbrolin/ Randy Crabtree - https://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-crabtree-cpa-1945a67/ Tony Proctor - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyproctor/ Brittany Brown - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-brown-b8324812/ Ashley Rhoden - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyrhodenmba/ Twyla Verhelst - https://www.linkedin.com/in/twylav/ Shirley Koss - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirleykoss/ Liz Farr - https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-farr-5165244a/ Terrell Turner - https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrellturner/ Nicole Davis - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoledaviscpa/ The Disruptors Podcast - https://cpatrendlines.com/category/the-disruptors/ NATP Taxposium - https://taxposium.natptax.com/home Scaling New Heights - https://www.woodard.com/scaling-new-heights-2027-about Bridging the Gap - https://www.btgconference.com/ REFRAME - https://reframeaccounting.com/ SPONSORS: [BIll, Relay, Karbon] Join Our LinkedIn Page! https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-counts-podcast Subscribe on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@SheCountsPodcast Follow She Counts on IG https://www.instagram.com/shecounts.show/ Connect with Nancy https://www.thedancingaccountant.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-mcclelland-cpa Connect with Questian https://www.reqoncilefinancials.com/